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Iron Bears
Where Space Marines stand tall, the Iron Bears stand taller. A byproduct of their gene-seed, along with their lengthened implantation process, the Iron Bears are transformed into giants always standing twenty to thirty centimetre higher than their cousins, their physical statures enhanced by their good-natured bravado. A legion of mechanics, the Iron Bears are infamous for their habit of tinkering with their war machines, adding new or unusual features to their mechanical beasts. Together, the Iron Bears and their oversized fleet of heavy tanks, form a steel tide that washes over their enemies. Daer'dd, tallest of the Primarchs, leads the legion with his arsenal of warhawks, a figure larger than life on and off the battlefield. In the end, the Iron Bears will be tested to the limit by the tragedy of the Insurrection, as they will suffer one of the greatest losses a legion can suffer. Origins and History One of the first legions to be founded after the Lightning Bearers, the VIth Legiones Astartes were created at a time when the Emperor's armies were first coming up against serious resistance. In need of more Astartes to break this deadlock, the Emperor created the VIth, using youths from the warlike Lake tribes of Nord Merica as its first warriors. Thanks to the extreme stability of the VIth Legion gene-seed, many more aspirants survived the transformation into Astartes than was the norm and the VIth were soon fighting on the frontlines of the Unification Wars in a strength that surpassed all but the Lightning Bearers. However, it was soon discovered that these astartes of the VIth were more human than their less numerous brethren of other legions. Within a very short space of time it was discovered that the gene seed of the VIth took longer to mature than that of other legions, rendering freshly recruited legionnaires of the VIth "human" for longer than the neophytes of other legions. While this length of time being between an Astartes and an un-augmented human passed, the mental effect of it didn't and so the legionnaires of the VIth were always found to be more relatable by un-augmented humans than their brothers of other legions. However, those Iron Bears who developed at a more usual rate were soon noticed to be excellent support troops and were rapidly deployed to serve such a role in campaigns being fought by their brother legions. The reason for this excellence in a supporting role was that the Iron Bears natural strength and fortitude saw them carry heavy weapons with ease and their natural inclination to tinker saw them modify their equipment to suit whichever role they were called on to perform. In these early days, the favoured ranged weapon of the legion was the heavy bolter as it allowed them to saturate their enemies with fire before moving in to finish their shocked opponents with heavy chainswords that they were able to wield with ease. By the end of the Unification Wars, the VIth legion were enormous compared to their fellow legions, easily dwarfing many save for the Ist, and were thus able to serve independent of other legions(in fact, the more unstable IIIrd Legion was attached to the VIth for a time). Over the following years, until the discovery of Daer'dd, the VIth would subdue world after world by their relentless march forwards, simply soaking up anything that was fired at them and then massacring their usually physically inferior opponents in melee. Because of this bullish method of fighting in which they relied on raw strength, courage and endurance more than any form of strategy, the VIth were given the cognomen the Juggernauts by their fellow legions and those Imperial Army units who served alongside them. The only exception to this were the IIIrd Legion, who instead called them Bjønir or Bears in the language of Jurfik. The Bear's Cradle One night, as the cold winter was drawing to a close, a small comet slammed into the shallow sand of a Huronian beach. However, it was not a comet but a small metal pod and from within it emerged a child, bleeding and shocked by the sudden crash he had survived. As he wondered the beaches of the world he had landed on, the child was found by a young couple, a maiden of great standing within one of the largest knightly households of Huron and the finest warrior of the tribe Niimkiikaa. Their union had dramatically changed the balance of power within the Three Fires sector and earned them many enemies. Already parents to a daughter, they now had a son and heir who they named Daer'dd. Daer'dd Niimkiikaa. However, unknown to them their adoptive son was no ordinary child but a son of the Emperor, a primarch. It would only take a few years before Daer'dd had matured sufficiently to begin taking to the field in war alongside his father, Noodiin Niimkiikaa. A master of a tomahawk and knife fighting as well as a skilled pysker, Noodiin had been a feared champion of the Niimkiikaa people in his youth and now, he took to the field alongside his son to do battle with his enemies and expand the territory of his people. In an age of las and accelerator weaponry, Noodiin was able to carve a bloody path through his enemies ranks and it was this art which he had taught his giant son, Daer'dd, who simply bulldozed his way through the hail of enemy fire until he was able to use his melee weapons. While Daer'dd and his adoptive father triumphed on a hundred battlefields and won almost 5000 miles for their people, these were not the only triumphs Daer'dd made in his youth. In addition to being preternaturally fast and superlatively skilled warrior, Daer'dd had also undertaken the task of learning the smiths crafts. This he did in a remarkably short space of time and when he has learnt it, he began to transform Huron's technology. Studying the crude suits of power armour used by Huronian warriors, he improved upon them drastically and discovered how to work the metal known as adamantium. With these new technological innovations, the armies of the Niimkiikaa people swept all before them, uniting Huron behind a single leader. While Noodiin remained Chieftan of the Niimkiikaa, his adoptive son became King of Huron. It was around this time, as Daer'dd stepped into his role as King of all Huron, that a son was born of his father and mother, Aandeg Gitchi Noodiin Niimkiikaa. While Daer'dd didn't know it at the time, his greatest ally had just been born. Using his swollen army of tribal warriors, clad in a crude power armour somewhat similar to the Thunder armour of Terra and armed with tomahawks of adamantium, Daer'dd set out to unite the Three Fires sector. For another 10 years he fought across the worlds of Three Fires, with each victory bringing more warriors to his cause, each conquest easier than the last. When Daer'dd reached the final world of the Three Fires system, Accer Ferris, his army had grown so large that the king of this mighty fortress world bent the knee rather than waste his people's lives in a futile act of petty resistance. Over the next 20 years, all of Three Fires prospered under Daer'dd's benevolent rule. Every people found a role in his new kingdom. Ogryns served as the Kingdom's foot soldiers, combating ork incursions alongside the knightly houses and towering titan legions of Three Fires while the Demiurge and Cult of Mars settled their differences, ensuring that the furnaces of Huron and Acer Ferris to glow white hot once more, while the beastmen watched over the agricultural fields and halflings the kitchens. So it was that the Emperor and his sons found the kingdom of Three Fires when they arrived to seek out Daer'dd in order to give him leadership of the VIth Legion, peaceful and prosperous. Taming of the Bear When Daer'dd first met his true father, the Emperor, his reaction was not to challenge him or even fight as was the reaction of many of his brothers. Instead, he bent the knee, surrendering the kingdom of Three Fires to his father's rule. However, instead of a shameful humiliation, this became a cause for great celebration as the Emperor instructed his son "Rise, Lord of Three Fires, for you have built a kingdom the likes of which all must respect. You must bow to no man". Following this deceleration, the Imperial party knelt before Daer'dd, who simply laughed at this show of of respect and declared such a thing to unnecessary, whereupon he ordered that a great feast be prepared for his guests. This great celebration lasted for three days and three nights as Daer'dd told his father and brothers of how he had conquered Three Fires and was in turn told of the Great Crusade and of the Legiones Astartes. Accepting his task with humility, Daer'dd readily accepted command of the VIth Legion, the Juggernauts. Upon his being re unification with his legion he is said to have declared "You shall be no Juggernauts, but Bears of iron and steel, fierce and hardy, ready to take the light of the Imperial Truth to all corners of the galaxy and feast until the final sunset of the universe!" So it was that the legion took a new name: the Iron Bears. Following this re unification with their primarch, the Iron Bears adopted his nature as their own, particularly after the Iron Bears began to take in recruits from the Three Fires sector, specifically Huron. Of the first group of these young neophytes, many had been ambitious young warriors of Daer'dd's Totem Guard, among them Aandeg Niimkiikaa. While the Iron Bears remained as boisterous as ever, more emphasis was now placed upon the quality of an individual warrior rather than group cohesion and individual glory. They began to disregard ranged warfare in favour of closing with their enemy hand to hand as it was here that a warrior could truly shine and come into his own, when killing the enemy face to face. However, this was not all as the Iron Bears began to learn the art of a smith in emulation of their primarch, meaning no two astartes' equipment were the same as each would have modified his armour to suit his own tastes and desires. Yet it was not only the armour and way of war which changed upon Daer'dd being re united with his legion. The organization of the legion also changed, with the companies, or War Tribes, of the Iron Bears coming to reflect the structure of the warbands of Huron. The greater a warrior's individual glory and honour, the more warriors would follow him as part of his War Tribe, making the size of these units relatively fluid. However, there was one War Tribe whose size never changed: the Totem Guard. Akin to his bodyguard as King of Huron, Daer'dd's Totem Guard numbered 10,000 of the Iron Bears finest warriors, astartes who had proven themselves time and again of the decades of their service. Following their primarch's discovery, the VIth also began to use a rising number of bionics, actively removing limbs in order to have a bionic put in its place. While this may seem nonsensical, it was an attempt to emulate the great deeds and strength of their father, a strength not even the gene enhanced bodies of the astartes could reach. The Defeat of WAAAGH! Skulkrak Shortly after the 100th year of the Great Crusade, the Iron Bears stumbled upon the ork empire of Warboss Skulkrak. Spanning nearly a dozen systems, the empire was a hornet's nest of greenskins and the Iron Bears arrival woke it. The campaign which followed would be one of the bloodiest in the history of the VI legion and it would eventually drag in the X legion as well as the fighting intensified, making it one of the largest campaigns in the history of the Great Crusade. When the Iron Bears first encountered Waaagh! Skulkrak, they numbered only those of the legion who had been attached to the 76th expedition, around 27,000 Iron Bears(including the elite Totem Guard). Meeting the orks in battle, instead of using any complex stratagem, the Iron Bears simply hurled themselves into battle, seeking to hammer the orks into oblivion, fighting brute force with brute force. However, far from subjugating the vast horde of orks, this merely drew more of them to the fight as they saw in the Iron Bears a foe who would truly be a challenge to defeat. So it was that, as the ork's numbers grew, Daer'dd was forced to muster his entire legion, all 140,000 of the Iron Bears. With his iron fist assembled, Daer'dd drove on into the ork empire with renewed determination. However, while each battle fought against the greenskins was a victory, each was bought at a high price in VI legion blood and as the ranks of the Iron Bears were slowly whittled away, the greenskins numbers seemed to be unharmed or even to have grown. However, retreat was not an option. They would either triumph or they would die in the attempt yet it was becoming increasingly evident that Daer'dd and his sons, for all their formidable strength, lacked the numbers to see the campaign through and so, they sent out word requesting aid even as they pushed on, advancing ever further into the hornet's nest. Soon, their calls were answered by Niklaas and almost the entirety of the Fire Keepers legion. United with the implacable Xth, the VIth were able to resume their relentless advance and, while casualties were still heavy, they continued to be victorious over the orks. In these battles, the implacable wall of the Fire Keepers often provided the anvil upon which the greenskins were broken by the unstoppable hammer of the Iron Bears. However, while this alliance enabled them to crush the orks, problems also arose from the two legions differences. On many an occasion, the headstrong sons of Huron would rush on ahead of the relentless advance of the Fire Keepers or the Xth would insist upon eradicating every trace of the greenskins before moving on while the Iron Bears sought to crush the larger bodies of orks, willing to leave the smaller groups until the main body of the enemy had been defeated. Yet despite these differences, the two legions pushed the orks back until, finally, they arrived at the heart of the beast's lair, the capital of Warboss Skulkrak's empire, Aexoris. It was upon the huge river valleys of Aexoris that the final great battle of the campaign was fought. With the full might of both legions deployed, the battle would last two days and the rivers running across the battle field would run black and red with the blood of both orks and astartes as the ranks of the Iron Bears and Fire Keepers clashed with the hordes of greenskins. However, as the two legions fought the orks and Niklaas strode through the orks, smashing dozens aside with his hammer at a time, Daer'dd and his Totem Guard charged Warboss Skulkrak and his nobz. Being almost as large as the giant primarch, Skulkrak was without a doubt the mightiest ork warlord ever encountered by the Imperium. However, when dawn finally came on the second day, it was the Bear who was victorious, having ripped off both of Skulkrak's arms and torn the beasts spin from its back. Seeing their leader defeated, the orks broke although many were slaughtered as they attempted to escape. While fighting in the former empire of Skulkrak would carry on for years after this final battle, as the orks fought each other and the Imperial Army cleansed the systems of their presences, the battle of Aexoris broke the back of the empire and the Waaagh!. However, such victory came at a high price. Almost 18,000 Fire Keepers and more than 40,000 of the Iron Bears had been killed in the process of defeating the Waaagh. Yet after the campaign was finished, none could doubt the strength possessed by the VI. The Taking of Melanaath As humanity began to spread across the stars at an ever increasing pace, they began to encounter ever more of the Eldar vessels known as Craftworlds. Each of these vessels was aeons old and each Craftworld seemed to have a different agenda to the last yet many were actively hostile to the Imperium. One such Craftworld was Craftworld Melanaath. Launching an assault of the Angva system, the Craftworld raised two Imperial worlds before it fled at the approach of the VI legion. However, they had gravely underestimated the VI and their primarch as well as the anger that the Eldar's actions would cause in Daer'dd. The primarch went into a great rage, the like of which the VIth, his brothers and the crew of the Dragon of Autumn had never seen before. While he initially intended to give chase himself, he was persuaded by his brother Alexandros that he could not afford to do so, for he was needed on the frontlines of the Great Crusade. While he accepted this to be true, Daer'dd also knew that he would know no peace until Craftworld Menalaath was destroyed and the human lives lost avenged. So it was that he despatched Chief Damon Redd and the 4th and 5th Grand Wartribes to enact his will. As the Craftworld sought to escape and their liege returned to the front lines of the Great Crusade, the Iron King and his forces eagerly took up the chase. Rapidly catching up with the Craftworld, the vessels of the VIth put their plan into action. Three VIth Legion ships, the Emperor's Leviathan and Terrible Weight, closed with the Craftworld. Once within range, they fired their Ursus claws at the Eldar ship, pinning it in place and then loosed a volley of cannon fire and boarding torpedoes. These early boarding parties were then followed by units of Totem Guard terminators launching a teleport assault onto the Craftworld. The objective of these units was to secure landing zones for VIth Legion armour and knight support to board the Craftworld. For almost six hours the fighting around these zones swung back and forth between the two armies, with the Eldar desperately trying to throw the Iron Bears off of their Craftworld and the Iron Bears clinging on to the zones by whatever means necessary. However, the Eldar could not move the VI's elite and, while costly, the Totem Guard were able to secure the landing zones, allowing the 4th to board the Craftworld with armour and knights. Over the next five days, the Iron Bears would engage the Eldar in a brutal battle amidst the winding corridors and fake forests of the Craftworld. In this savage battle, there were no front lines, only individual combats. Iron Bears squads were frequently ambushed by units of striking scorpions or aspect warriors as they fought their way through the Craftworld and no mercy was given nor was any expected. By the fifth day, the Craftworld resembled an abattoir more than what it had once been. It's forests burned and the ships itself was gradually being blasted apart as the Iron Bears destroyed many vital structures within it and slaughtered it's inhabitants, earning the nickname the "Dread Blades" from the Eldar. During this savage fighting, many warriors of the VI accomplished deeds of martial skill and determination that are worthy of their own epics. One Iron Bear, Enoch Awanjish held out against the Eldar for four hours despite having lost his legs below the knee and having to amputate his own left hand. Using the bodies of his dead brethren for cover, he fought off four separate attacks by Eldar aspect warriors before being relieved and was later promoted to sergeant for his actions. Then there was Chief Ah'nek, the "giant", who slew countless Eldar warriors. However, by far the most heroic deed was that accomplished by Damon Redd himself, who bested an avatar of Khaine in single combat after a duel lasting almost an hour and slaughtered every Eldar he fought, his kill count exceeding one thousand. By the time the battle was over, Melanaath was a graveyard, a hollow shell of what it had once been. Every last one of it's inhabitants had been butchered and vengeance exacted for the razed Imperial worlds. However, the price payed by the VIth had been heavy, with them losing nearly 10,000 brothers amidst the corridors of Melanaath. Such is the price payed to keep safe the Imperial domain. The Breaking of the Iron Citadel Siege An urgent request for reinforcements brought the Iron Bears to the Auretian Technocracy, where the Shepherds of Eden were aiding the Auretians against a vast Ork invasion. While Wartribes peeled off to meet the greenskins on several worlds, Daer'dd went straight to Aureus itself with the 4th Wartribe, where a Chapter of the Shepherds and the Brotherhood of Aureus held off the Orks below the Iron Citadel. The Shepherds and the mortal warriors of Aureus fought bravely, and the Technocracy boasted remarkable weapons and defences, but they were gradually losing ground to the massive force arrayed against them. The mountainous landscape around the stronghold worked against the Bears as much as it did the invaders, preventing them from simply flanking the Orks. The greenskins were lead by a tech-caste and fielded bizarre, devastating siege weapons, which made it difficult to hold the defences against them or land further reinforcements, let alone attempt a drop-pod assault. These had to be neutralised if the Orks were to be driven back, and in any case the Bears preferred the opportunity to fight in open battle rather than hunkered down on the battlements. To this end Daer'dd orchestrated a feint and, after landing as many Astartes as he could risk behind the lower walls of the Iron Citadel, allowed the Orks to break a gate into the lower rings surrounding the fortress. As the horde instinctively charged forward they were caught and destroyed in carefully prepared kill zones within the walls. Daer'dd had consulted carefully with the Shepherds and Brotherhood in divising these traps and the Orks suffered ruinous casualties under the volume of fire. In the confusion, several Clan companies deployed over the walls with the Primarch and Damon Redd at their head. Charging into the enemy ranks, they swiftly reached the vast siege weapons, sabotaging or even turning them on one another. Despite their prowess and heroism, it would have been a suicide attack if not for the Primarch's careful planning. The rest of the defenders pushed the greenskins back into the outermost defences, and now the Bears could bring their vaunted mechanised units to the surface. These broke out from the defences, shattering the Ork forces as they went, while assault marines cleansed the ruined outer city. It was a costly tactic, but incredibly effective and, with the death of the Orks Warboss at the hands of Chief Captain Cass and Ar'assa Redd's Knight walker, the invasion unraveled completely. After a short clean-up campaign the Technocracy gladly joined with the Imperium, with both the Shepherds and Bears earning great acclaim for their actions. 'Legion Home World' 'Huron' Huron is the Jewel of the Three Fires sub-sector, a "Super Earth" at 1.8x the size of Terra and 2.1x the gravity. It is a world rich with dense metals including Iron, Copper, Tungsten, Cobalt, and Osmium. It is covered in vast, relatively shallow fresh water oceans with little more than glorified islands covered in coniferous and hardwood forests. It has a semi elliptical orbit around a single star leading to long Autumnal and Winter seasons. While standing at a high technological state, space travel had been almost non existent outside of the sub-sector because of warp storms. Legion Organisation and Structure The Iron Bears legion was heavily restructured after being reunited with there genesire Daer'dd Niimkiikaa. Daer'dd based the legion structure on the Grand War Tribes he used to conquer and unite Huron and the whole Three Fires sub sector. Daer'dd reorganized the legion into six Grand War Tribes all roughly numbering around 20,000 warriors each. Daer'dd also formed a personal retinue called the Totem Guard numbering around 10,000 veterans from Terra and his most trusted Huronian recruits. He gave command of each Grand War Tribe over to six hand selected Iron Kings or the honorary title Lord Chief. Each Iron King selected a council of seven Chief Praetors whom acted as advisors. Each Grand War Tribe is then broken down into Clan Companies organized by tactical specialization. Because of this the number of Astartes in each Clan Company fluid. Each Clan Company is named after it's commander whom holds the title of Chief Captain. Clan Companies would often fight in groupings commanded by one of the Tribes Chief Praetor. Legion Structure for the VIth Legion, the Iron Bears of Daer'dd Niimkiikaa. 'Legion Rank Structure' *'High Lord Chief (Primarch)' *'Lord Chiefs Masters (6)' *'Masters (High Cleric Reclusiarch, Master Shaman Librarian, Master of the Totem Forge, Master Healer Apothecarion) *'Chief Praetors (42)' *'Chief Captains''' *'Chief Centurions' *'Chief Sergeants' *'Master Sergeants' *'Master Brethren (Veteran Legionaries)' *'Brethren (Battle-Brother)' *'Neophytes' Each Grand Wartribe is led by a Lord Chief and council of seven Chief Praetors; they in turn act like Chapter Masters leading cadres of Clan Companies. Clan Companies are led by and named after a Chief Captain and are extremely fluid in size ranging from 70-1500. Chief Centurions are relatively rare, and denote brethren whom performed extreme acts of valour; though they are still roughly Chief Sergeants. Chief Sergeant's lead Clans (Squadrons). Chief is honorary title to show command and trust, so there occasionally might be say a Captain whom is not a Chief because his actions disgraced the Clan Company and will be replaced where he will then be placed in a non command role. Master denotes someone whom has Mastered their Mark, and it is possible to gain multiple Marks highest amongst these brethren are the Paragons whom mastered s three marks, there has never been more than a dozen Paragons in the legion at a time. 'Specialist Formations' *'Totem Guard' - Elite Honour Guard veteran formation; personal bodyguard of Daer'dd. The elite of the elite of the Iron Bears Legion, these are warriors who have proven themselves time and time again over several decades of constant warfare. Virtually all have sustained severe injuries and possess extensive augmetics. Legion Apothecaries use drugs to further promote from the Biscopea and Ossmodula to further push these Astartes' physically even closer to their gene-father. Whilst serving as Daer'dd's personal Wartribe they also serve as the six Lord Chief's personal retinues. Their value to the VIth Legion is such, that they are rarely deployed en mass, but when they are, it is said even the most heavily defended planets last less than a day before it's over run by these ferocious defenders of Mankind. *'Oathbound Slayers' - Elite Veteran formation. *'Phalanx Leviathans' - Specialist Breacher Assault formation that utilises servo-mounted combi-weapons and power tomahawks. In brutal armoured assaults and boarding actions, the Phalanx Leviathans are an invaluable resource to the legion. Often creating barriers for other clans to fire over, or creating an opening for Slayer Clans to assault from. *'Ironbound Slayers' - Heavy fast-attack assault formation that utilises jump packs, storm shields and melee weapons. They were founded by Lord Chief R. Damon Redd, Lord Chief of the 4th Great Wartribe. The Ironbound Slayers are the ultimate in brutal fighters. Their nature is boisterous and brutal, though they do not torture or maim their enemies. They make it a competition to see whom can kill either the largest foe or the most enemies as quickly as possible. To be at the wrong end of their blade is to look unto death. *'Warborn Hunters' - Heavy support unit, utilised for deep strike missions. Often utilises plasma cannons. Amongst the most revered of the VIth legions troops, the warriors of the Warborn Clan are always amongst the first strike. Whilst they lack true armour killing abilities, they are an absolute nightmare for the opposing enemies' troop, as they launch deep strikes into the heart of the enemy and slaughter them with a frightening volume of firepower. *'Dreadnought Iron Clan Hellfire Talon' - 'Non-Astartes Formations' *'The Daughters of Daer'dd' - Under Daer'dd Niimkiikaa's command warriors of all types from the Three Fires fought. And whilst the Men had an obvious direction to go, his many mighty and talented female warriors did not. It was a suggestion from his father and older sister that the mighty female warrior conclave was born. The oft called Shield Maidens or Iron Maidens serve under the technicality of being serfs or house troops, to underestimate them as such is a grave mistake. Gen-hanced, armoured with the finest powered plate and armed with the finest of weaponry, the Daughters of Daer'dd are little less than Astartes themselves. It is these Daughters that serve as the Bears' primary support troops. Since their gen-hancing program is much less complicated, the Daughters outnumber the Bears four-to-one, and fulfill all direct support needs including fulfilling duties as ship troops and anti-boarding operations. War Disposition As it currently stands the 4th Grand War Tribe the "Leviathans" of Lord Chief R.Damon Redd is the largest standing War Tribe at 42,000+ Astartes. And the 5th Grand War Tribe the "Wind Riders" of Lord Chief Echo Pontiac is the smallest at roughly 21,000 Astartes. Current estimates put the legion between 190,000-210,000 Astartes in part due to low death/attrition rates thanks to the noted tough nature, high augmentation rates, and talented armour artificers. 'Legion Combat Doctrine' 'The Iron Tide' If the Xth Legion, Niklaas' own Fire Keepers are the unbreakable shield, then it is Daer'dd and his sons, the Iron Bears that are the Unstoppable Spear. It is with no doubt that Daer'dd was the personification of the Emperor's physical might and this trait carries heavily over to Daer'dd's sons. Even in the Earliest days of the VIth they earned the name 'The Juggernauts' due to their simple tactics paired with virtually unmatched strength and fortitude. Modifying weaponry to relentlessly wade into the pool of war, Volkites searing the air itself and giving no quarter with the singing of massive chain weaponry playing the swan song of so many enemies. Once reunited with Daer'dd the tactica of the Legion changed little. Massed armoured transport assaults, supported directly by the legions vast number of Dreadnoughts. The Phalanx Leviathans are first to come forth from Spartans and Land Raiders, marching ever forward to rhythm of war drums, behind them Slayer clans prepare to leap over the shield wall and forward closing the gap with jump packs and enhanced motivation units to tear the enemy asunder with Tomahawk and chainaxe. And whilst the Iron Bears' tactics are simplistic and blunt, they've long used flank maneuvers from Reconnaissance Clans mounted in Grav Rhinos, Sky Hunters, Outriders, Land Speeder and Tank columns to attack from unexpected angles pushing enemies into the main assault; becoming both the Anvil and the Hammer. Nor are the Iron Bears true defenders, no, for they are an ever flowing tide of Iron. Preferring to wait use counter charges to cut of enemies from their target, eventually crushing all those in their path, using their relentless nature and surprising speed to sew panic and dread amongst the enemy. Ultimately they decimate as one, so many grand vehicles, a rolling storm of debris from the ground; coming to life from so much weight. As they grow closer, the Ancients disembark, iron giants, every pattern of Dreadnought represented. Striding towards the enemy with haste. No defense can stop the inevitable. 'Rites of War' *'The Claws of War' - The VIth Legion's mastery of the forge has led to many interesting developments within the Legion; though their conquest of death through steel perhaps raises the most eyebrows. The Legion's near cult-like adaptation of the Ironbound culture has pushed many Bears to the brink of Augmentation and bio-organic replacement only typically seen on Mars. However this has lead to many Bears being able to be interred into a Dreadnought sarcophagus with seamless integration; after the Day of Reckoning this became a saving grace as so many brothers were cut down by the traitors. Eventually more than one in ten whom fell that day would rise again. *'The Iron Tide' - Amongst the Legions of the Great Crusade none could quite overpower any battlefield with a sheer show of Force quite like the Iron Bears. The VIth's unparalleled armoury was almost always on display as the Bears seemingly pulverised and ground their enemies to little more than dust with vast armoured assaults where tanks would be in numbers nearly matching Legionaries. 'Legion Wargear' It's well noted that only the Primarch Niklaas and the Emperor himself can match Daer'dd's arcane mechanisms and masterful metallurgy and smithing. And it is shown in his sons, each warrior of the VIth wears a unique set of armour, pieced together by the warrior himself, and each Astartes bears unique masterful weapons customized to be perfect for them alone. It is in this that each Astartes is able to shine, using their master-crafted wargear to become a singular expression of War as Art, to show the beautiful strength of iron. 'Armouries of the Great Bear' It is said that amongst the Legions there are no armouries equal to those of the Iron Bears; and you would be lucky to find someone whom disagrees with that statement. For every Astartes of the VIth Legion is expected to maintain, refine, and better their own personal armoury of weapons and armour, leading to many brethren being armed with near artificer level wargear. Very rarely has any Bear been a poor Smith; it is, at least in part because of this that the Legion maintains an incredible amount of rare and exotic weapons; often times modifications to xenos tech. It is to the point where Plasma, Volkite, and Grav weapons abound commonly in many the personal quarters of VIth. Amongst the Iron Bears each suit of armour is considered personal an extension of the warrior himself. Every brethren takes it upon themselves to heavily modifies their suit, whether it be with pieces from fallen comrades and mentors, the latest in technical innovation or often simply studs, banding, blast plates and reinforcements of rare near indestructible alloys. Every vehicle of the Iron Bears is equally doted to; they maintain a high number of exotic vehicles from small Grav Rhinos to mighty Leviathans, even some found no where else like the battalion of Walker Predators of the Third Grand Wartribe. Individual modifications are hardly rare; Increased armour plating, modified motivation units, and fusion engines are just a few of the Modifications on every vehicle of the VIth. Rarer modifications include turret mounted Assault Cannons, force fields, active chameleon fields, and EMP assault launchers. The most well known of these modifications is known as the so called 'Mauler' pattern, which heavily uses archaic Plasma weaponry. Arguably one of the most impressive of the Legion's war machines is that of the massive Blood and Thunder, the personal command vehicle of Lord Chief Redd, which added Macro Accelerator Cannons on two top mounted turrets, capable of laying siege to a hive, or even decimating enemy Titans. 'Armour' It is without a shadow of a doubt one of the single most unique and standout features of any Legiones Astartes of the Iron Bears of Daer'dd, is that any given Legion Warrior, Slayer, Hunter, or the nigh mythical Paragon; that their suit of power armour will be singularly unique from any of their fellow brethern. Whilst the blackened iron and burnished copper gauntlets and greaves unite the Bears in appearance, and mayhaps even an overwhelming love for Mark III 'Iron Armour', every Astartes suit is individualized by it's bearer with assistance from one of the Clan Companies many Iron Smiths and vaulted Iron Artificiers. It is not unheard of for Bears to be spotted with wholly unique bits of armour, their deep and close ties to both Terra and Mars has oft led to many prototypes to find their way to the battlefield cladding the Astartes of the VIth Legion. 'Totem & Ironbound Armour' The intonation of both Totemic and Ironbound armour patterns are a misnomer, neither is a unique mark of power armour as both are masterful reworkings without peer. Totem Armour sits as highly unique for it's ferromagnetic armour innovations, and heavy use of micro field generators. While the outward appearance can very greatly from lumbering towers of Ursa totems clad in bands of tungsten and adamantium, or to near perfect simulacrums of a warriors musculature. It is the high technology underneath, almost wholly unique to the VIth Legion, that makes Totem Armour what it truly is, featuring every advancement in armour of the last two centuries and a number of arcane secrets of the god-smith Daer'dd Niimkiikaa, that he's chosen to share with his father and a handful of his Primarch brothers. Making several conclaves and even Kelbor Hal resentful of the Giant. Ironbound Armour, whilst not as advanced as Totem plate, is nonetheless, a masterful art form in armour smithing. An Astartes will strip his plate down to nothing, retuning and adding many unique survival systems to the base functions of their initial set of plate. With time, the outward appearance will take on a individualized form, allowing for the greatest application of force from the Astartes. Many plates will come from fallen brethren, or become beautiful pieces of artwork commemorating great deeds in battles. And while this true of most Iron Bear's plate, it is what comes next that makes it into the catagory of Ironbound. The heavy use of mechanical augmetics is no secret of the Ursa Ferrus, regardless of how much bonded synth skin, or how many tattoos some Huronians choose to cover them with. But it is this process applied to their suits of Armour - from extra armour plates, to masses of fiber muscle bundles and rail and pneumatic systems - that makes Ironbound modified plate obvious, and far different from it's near kin of Totem Armour. And it's use also separates it, akin to it's name, Ironbound armour is most commonly worn by the Ironbound cults of the VIth Legion, great men each, obsessed with pushing themselves far harder than any other Astarte, they continually push their bodies with both augments and stimms, and further push their armour to rival even the best suits of Tactical Dreadnought Plate. Mostly made up of Astartes from Slayer clans including the so called "Iron King" Master Slayer and Lord Chief of the IVth Great Wartribe, R. Damon Redd, though Warriors, Hunters, and Paragons like the venerable Yoxer Bellows, or the juggernaut that is Ah'nek the Giant. The Ironbound sub-culture pushes the Iron Bears into a brutal new tide of warfare, an unyielding tide able to strip mountains and lay waste to empires in a day. Most of these warriors will find themselves interred into the sarcophagus of a Dreadnought eventually as their bond with iron has made them perfect candidates. 'Weapons' *'Power Tomahawks' - *'Warhawk' - *'Ironhawk' - *'Warclaw' - A modified powerfist built to resemble Daer'dd's own Gauntlets of Aries. The fingers are heavily hooked thick blades able to tear through even the thickest hulls. The Warclaw also often has several long claws emanating the gauntlets knuckles to allow for a punching motion and have the same brutal shredding bite. *'Gauntlets of the Storm' - Gauntlets of the Storm are a pair of master-crafted powerfists utilised by the elite Totem Guard. One has an in-built force field generator and the other has an in-built in Combi-Bolter. *'Maul Blade' - Born during the most brutal fighting during Daer'dd's conquest of the Three Fires Sub Sectors; The Maul Blade resembles the Kopis of the legendary Spartans of old Terra. This chain weapon has multiple rows of oversized powered teeth, reminding all of the Maws of the most dangerous predators. The singing blade is one of the most feared songs, for it is the song of death. *'Arrow-Pattern Bolters' - *'Iron Bound Combat Shield' - *'Superior-Pattern Storm Shield' - *'Phalanx Storm Shield' - 'Dreadnoughts' There is little doubt of the Bear's iron might in any field of war - from ground-to-space - their war machines are unparalleled in shear strength and toughness. But it is the Iron Bear's heavy use of Dreadnoughts which is shocking to some. The heavy use of augments since Daer'dd's arrival has the sarcophagus internment a fairly easy process for fallen Iron Bears, in addition to the VIth's high production capabilities; this has led to an incredibly high active number of Brethern Dreadnoughts, which at times, has been enough to have every foot slogging clan to have a mighty Dreadnought as direct support. Dreadnoughts are treated with high reverence in the Legion's halls, for they serve eternally. The official title of any Iron Bear Dreadnought is that of Brother Ancient followed by his pre-internment rank. Brother Ancients can be found in many traditional rolls within the Legion and often have their armour modified to match - from shaman dreads with force blades, dream catchers and psychic hoods, to Artificiers with mechadendrites, servo-arms, grav guns, and heavy conversion beamers. Or even Slayers with large axes and shields weighing several tonnes, which most legions found odd save for Russ' feral sons who admired it. It is also common for the wearer's suit to take on a heavy totemic appearance of Bears, for too many, it is to truly become an Iron Bear. These tactics have proven to be invaluable with just a single clan and a Brother Ancient being a combat multiplier for both. After the passing of Primarch Daer'dd Niimkiikaa the legion's Dreadnought ranks more than tripled from losses sustained at the battle, adding strength to what was supposed to be a weakened legion. This also led to many Smiths and Artificers to experiment with heavier and more exotic weaponry, to allow the Brother Ancients, in coordination with Thunderbeast prototypes, to become direct Armoured support over both Predators and Sicarians. 'Vehicles' *'Storm Rider-Pattern Land Speeder' *'Land Raider Maulter' - Based on the Achilles chassis of up armoured Land Raiders, the Mauler removes the heavy quad-morter cannon for a twin linked small prototype Assault Cannon being developed on Terra. Allowing for greater transport capacity and a heavy close range anti infantry platform. *'Land Raider Maulter Nova' - Replacing the transport capacity of the Mauler for Thunderer/Demolisher cannon, the Mauler Nova brings in heavy fire support and siege capacity in arenas where greater armour is needed than the Vindicators, and there is not enough operation room for a Typhon siege tank. In this capacity it has served the Iron Bears flawlessly. *'Rhinos' - Unlike most legions the Iron Bears have had to extensively modify the RH1N0 chassis for use, as their naturally large nature and their use of bulky heavy armour patterns makes transport for squadrons virtually impossible. Instead most Rhinos have been converted into typical fire support platforms such as the Predators including the legion exclusive Mauler pattern, and various whirlwind and anti air platforms. The Rhino does find use amongst Reconnaissance and Seeker clans. Though modified into a Grav-Rhino akin to those used by the Legio Custodes. Typically armed with external weapon systems including combi-weapons, hunter killer missiles, Havoc missile systems, and often a pintle-mounted Heavy Bolter. It also bears a number of defensive systems including cameleolion fields, smoke launchers and other various counter measures to allow the clans to be quickly and quietly inserted deep into enemy territory to gain information, launch hit and run/saboteur operations, and preform assassination missions. The most unique adaptation of the Rhino are the walker Thunderbeast variants. Both feature fixed forward hull mounted plasma weapons, a large toothed dozer-type fixture. Either a turret mounting a Kheres Assault Cannon system, or an Accelerator Autocannon system. In addition to further fixed position missile systems. The Thunderbeast-pattern Rhino has been an invaluable addition when fighting in dense uneven terrain. Exemplary Battles 'Notable Iron Bears' 'Legion High Council & Totem Guard' *'Daer'dd Niimkiikaa (Deceased)' - Primarch & High Lord Chief *'Aandegg Gitchi Noodin Niimkiikaa' - Known as the 'The Great Raven of the Storm of Change', Aandegg Niimkiikaa is the Master Shaman (Chief Librarian) of the Iron Bears. He was born the younger brother of Daer'dd to his adopted Huronian family, Aandeg was born just twenty years before the Emperor's arrival he was a natural prodigy, gifted genius, and served under the planet's Shamen by the age of twelve. He was a contemplative young man whom many mistook for brooding. He lacked the warm nature of his older brother, but he admired, loved, and idolized Daer'dd and aspired to be like him. He was a natural candidate for the Astartes process. And is considered the first Huronian Astartes. After his change Aandeg's gift became ten fold and his power finally found him closer to his brother. It was during his time on Terra that Aandeg found himself under the occasional tutelage of the Primarchs Alexandros and Icarion. And while they helped temper the storm that churned inside Aandeg. But it would not be several years until the finding of the Primarch Magnus the Red that Aandeg was able to truly let his powers shine. For while Alexandros and Icarion were masters of divination. Magnus was an incomparable raw force of nature more akin to Aandeg's talents. After Magnus' death. Aandeg was found in a deep depression for months. It was only after one night that his temperament changed dramatically and he became more like his old self. *'Leonas Niimkiikaa' - Master Paragon *'Old Man' R.L. Cullen - High Cleric (Reclusiarch) *'Bruts Niimkiikaa' - Master of the Totem (Master of the Forge) *'Solomon Grundy' - Legion Champion 'Grand Wartribes' '1st Grand Wartribe' *'Therox 'Cass' Castiel' - First Lord Chief, interred within a Contemptor Dreadnought. *'Leonas Niimkiikaa' - Chief Praetor, Master Paragon *'Achille Nibaasiniiwi'- Chief Praetor '4th Grand Wartribe' *'R. Damon Redd' - Lord Chief, Master of the Fleet. As the Master Slayer, there is no better a technical fighter in the Legion than R. Damon Redd, he's mastered every aspect of it, and how to defend or attack anything. It is believed by many that he is the natural choice for the legion's High Lord Chief and head of the council of Three Fires, should anything happen to Daer'dd. He is truly Daer'dd's best student, and over the two centuries of service he's had the finest augments and artificial replacements after grievous wounds. It is said he weighs twice as much as another Astartes his size. *'Ah'nek the Giant' - Chief Praetor and Wartribe Champion. *'Or'tan Songblade' - Chief Cleric *'Lucius Woodward, 'The Architect'' - Chief Praetor *'Seraph Maximus Ironhill, 'The Fire Drake'' - Chief Praetor, Fire Shaman *'R.L. Blinstrubas' - Chief Praetor, Ordnance Master *'Jericho Talltree' - Chief Praetor *'Ragnar Stormbreaker' - Chief Praetor, Historian *'Yoxer Bellows' - Chief Praetor *'Bjorn the Fellwolf' - Master of the Hunt *'Cyrn'ss Songblade' - Wartribe Champion 'Remaining Lords' *'Ezibiknh 'Ezekiel' Spinebreaker' - Second Lord Chief, Master Warrior *'Orr'eon Lakestrider' - Third Lord Chief; Master Hunter, Master of the Armoury *'Echo Pontiac' - Fifth Lord Chief, Master Rider *'R. Logan Drake' - Sixth Lord Chief, Sentinel of Huron 'Non-Astartes Personnel' *'Lotara Sarrin' - Iron Queen and Fleet Mistress *'Ara'ssa Augustus-Redd' - Iron Queen, Master of Knight House Augustus (wife of R. Damon Redd) *'Ezekiel Savage' - Captain of the Ogryn Serf Auxiliary *'Honorable Trenn' - Ogryn Bodyguard for Lotara Sarrin 'Legion Fleet' *''The Dragon of Autumn'' (Unique Class, Flagship) - Said to be Daer'dd's finest creation ever The Dragon of Autumn is the brute of the entire Imperial fleet at over fourty kilometres long. The absolutely massive prow bladed ship features meters thick tungsten and adamantium armour plating, and rows upon rows of shield generators. This finds The Dragon is best suited for broadside actions, it's sides armed with broadside Nova cannons which only it's incredible mass can handle and plasma batteries. Under mounted macro rail cannon turrets compliment the broadside armaments and are very capable bombardment weapons. Though it's two most noted weapons are that of it's Ursus Claws, used for grappling, boarding, and even tearing other ships asunder, and it's unnamed primary forward weapon. Though most commonly referred to often as The Executioner's Axe or Dragon's Breathe it is technically a multi port plasmatic accelerator, at it's heart it is a heavy ion collider that produces super-dense quark gluon plasma from the heart of a neutron star. The plasma is so hot it melts at the sub particle state and can turn planets into micro stars in a only a few moments or tear through fleets with ease, though it can only fire at less than once per every few hours. The ship is commanded by Iron Queen and fleet mistress Lotara Sarrin, and is home to the Totem Guard and several dozen Clan Companies of the First Grand War Tribe. And close to a million crew members. 'Legion Relics' *''Gauntlets of Ares'' - Given to Daer'dd by none else than Kelbor Hal at the signing of the Demiurge Mechanicum treaty. Daer'dd tinkered and rebuilt the Gauntlets into his most visceral connection to war. The inter-banded, Huronian copper-coated adamantium rings that make up the inner structure are in a constant state of movement and covered in runes crafted by several of his brothers. The outer structure of heavy black bands at wrist and elbow and the top and bottom of his forearms are made out of a material Daer'dd only refers to as 'Huron's Iron'. Heavy pyramidal rivets connect these pieces, and on the top brace that runs the length of his forearms there are three radiant orange gems whose light pools off almost as if steam. Each knuckle has a perfect black diamond said to have been pulled from the deep ocean magmatic river known as Hel by Daer'dd's own hands. Each finger is finished in a large black hooked claw extending from the second knuckle upwards, creating the killing edge. *''The Ganzhymekwahawk'' - Not a singular weapon but a series of Tomahawks Daer'dd has crafted over the years from chain to jewel bladed variations all with different techno secrets Daer'dd is unwilling to give up, though all share in common the use a a small teleporter to make sure they return to Daer'dd no matter where they are. *''Shell of the Juggernaut'' - Though it looks like a normal suit of armour on the Leviathan of the North. It is said that Daer'dd's plate weighs as much as a Mark IV Dreadnought. Full of field generators and a miniature fusion reactor, the Shell of the Juggernaut lives up to it's name as it's allowed Daer'dd to nigh unstoppable for two centuries. *''Stormwalker'' - An advanced teleportation unit devised from the deconstruction of Eldar tech. Built by Daer'dd for himself to compensate for his lumbering nature. *''The Spear of Fates'' - Wrought by Aandeg's brother's hands, the Spear of Fates is one of the finest force weapons in the galaxy. With assistance from all three of his psychic master Primarch brethren, Daer'dd was able to create a fearful extension of his brother's vast psychic talents. *''Weight of War'' - The Weight of War is a master-crafted, artificer-wrought Power Tomahawk utilised by R. Damon Redd, Lord Chief of the 4th Grand Wartribe. This weapon is said to the single finest tomahawk ever produced. Very little is know about it, the only thing that is known is it uses hyperdense liquid Osmium suspended in magnetic fields and anti-grav suspensors. When the blade recognizes a strike coming it turns off the anti-grav suspension and allows the tube of meta material slide down a tube in the handle, generating titanic proportions of energy, said to be able to sunder even a land raider in one blow. *''Dreamcatcher'' - A master-crafted Superior-pattern Storm Shield utilised by R. Damon Redd, this particular item is said to possess a staggering amount of psychic wards and a sheet of Aurc metal from Terra itself. It sings like a bell when struck, and with every dolorous peal despair is driven into the minds of the foe as they face their inevitable death. 'Legion Appearance' 'Legion Colours' The Iron Bears Legion wear black iron coloured battle plate with burnished copper on the coutre (elbow guard), vambrace, gauntlets, poleyn (knee guards) and greaves. 'Totem Marks' After reuniting with Daer'dd the VIth Legion adopted the Huronian practice of Totem marks. There are three primary marks, the Mark of The Warrior, The Mark of the Slayer, & The Mark of the Hunter. This allowed all Astartes of the legion to focus on their given natural talent. Slayers focused on close quarters combat, regular use of blades, pistols, and shields. Slayers are also typically found in heavily reinforced armour with extra motivation units in the legs of their armour and modified jump packs. Slayers are also noted for their development of the Ironbound subculture of the legion. Hunters focus on range and stealth. Units typically associated with hunters include Recon, and the legion's unique Warborn clans, hunters have access to the Legion's most archaic and rare ranged weaponry, and have use of quick insertion tactica including limited use of personal teleporters outside of Tactical Dreadnought Armour. The Warrior mark is the most common of Legion and therefore most commonly associated with Tactical clans. The mark is given to those with strong tactical sense and whom are balanced in both blade and bolter. The Warrior mark does carry a very esteemed role in the legion, they are the masters of the phalanx, Shield Bearers become the anvil to break the enemy upon and typically grind the enemy down. 'Legion Badge' The Iron Bears' Legion badge is a large stylised Huronian totemic marking of a bear's paw and claws centered on a field of black. 'Notable Quotes' Feel free to add your own 'By the Iron Bears' Feel free to add your own 'About the Iron Bears' Category:Legions Category:Loyalist